Rail-fastener.



E. STEM.

BAIL PASTENER. l

APPLICATION rum 1mm, 190s.

Paned oct. 20,1908.

-Emery Stem WITNESSES:

'ATTORNEY lwhich it is desirable to overcome.

EMERY STEM, OF SPOKAE, WASHINGTON.

RAIL-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 3, 1908. Serial No. 419,048.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMERY STEM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Rail- Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail fasteners for ties composed of a rigid substance, such as iron, cement or stone, and the objects of my improvement are to provide a rail fastener which will firmly grip the rail, nd at the same time afford a yielding, elastic ase.

It is well known that concrete or metal ties impart a certain rigidity to the road-bed, I do this by providing a bed of Wood or other elastic material, and on this is placed a block preferably of metal which is permitted to move freely in a vertical direction. This block carries the rail, and is fastened thereto by means which become operative by pressure upon the rail, and as soon as the pressure is removed the rail is partially released.

It has been the practice heretofore in rail fasteners to provide a rigid base, or if an elastic bed is provided, the bed is continually under compression or not allowed freedom for expansion after the pressure is removed, and therefore its life and elasticity are destroyed. To overcome these defects, I provide a bed which is under compression only when the pressure is upon the rail, and at other times the compression block and rail rest loosely upon the bed, which is allowed freedom to expand. These objects and advantages are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the fastener in place in a concrete tie, with the tie partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing method of assembling the diHerent parts. Fig. 3 shows the fastener in normal position. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views of special features of construction.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a (Fig. l) designates a box or casing inclosing the working parts. This is given as a preferred form, and may be modified or dispensed with and other means provided to take its place. In this box are assembled the parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3. To provide an lsides of the base of the rail.

elastic bed, I use preferably a cedar block b, which is placed loosely on the bottom of the box a. On block b rests a compression block c of metal or other suitable material, which carries the rail g. The block cis cut away on each end as shown in Fig. 5, making depressions which receive the upper and lower members of locking bar d, and leaving a shoulder which engages the lower member of the locking bar. The locking bars d and d are suspended in recesses at each end of box c, a detail of which is shown in Fig. 4, and are provided with pivots c and c, which are designed to hold the bars in place, the bars being fulcrumed against the box a. To prevent the rail when under pressure from resting on the sides of box a, and thus making the elastic block b inoperative, the sides of the box are depressed about one half the depth of block b under the bearing of the rail on block c, so as to compensate for shrinkage in bulk of block b from continued use. When block b has been compressed until the rail rests on the side of the box, or sooner, if desired, block b can be removed and another one substituted. Block c has a depressed rail seat with flanges on each side of the rail to prevent lateral movement.

In normal position, as shown in Fig. 3, the

rail g rests in the depression in the top of,

block c, the base of the rail on each side being engaged by the upper members of locking bars d, the lower members of which are engaged by shoulders 7L of block c. It is evident that any pressure upon the rail g, as the weight of a train passing over it, will cause the compression block c to depress the locking bars d and bind them firmly against the After the train has passed, this binding force is removed, and the different parts rest loosely upon one another, being held in lace by their own weight and that of the rail). The lugsf and f are designed to be used to fasten block c to the rail in assembling and removing the same from the box. These lugs may be left in permanently if desired, but I prefer to have them removed, as they are not necessary to the proper action of the fastener. As the working members of the fastener are held together solely by gravity and pressure, they can be readily assembled and removed for repairs. In making repairs, the rail can be jacked up at the desired point, and the worn out or broken parts removed and new ones substituted.

The concrete. tie, a section of which is shown in Fig. l, is provided with reinforcing members consisting of mats of Woven Wire or reticulated metal extending nearly the slength and breadth of the tie and embedded in the cement near its upper yand lowersurfaces. I do not, however, claim this as a part of my invention.

The maximum binding force of the looking bars being exerted during the passage of a train over vthe raiLthe use of this fastener Will prevent the creeping of the rail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a rail fastener, the combination of a support, a bed of elastic material superimposed upon the support, a com ression'block resting upon the bed, andrail c amping mem bers actuated by the block.

2. In a rail fastener, theyeombination of a box, a bed of elastic material on the bottom of the box, a com ression block resting upon the bed, and'rail c amping members actuated by the block and connected with the box.

3. In a rail fastener, the combination of a rail, a compression blockcarrying the rail, and clam ing levers actuated by the pressure of the rai upon the block.

4. .Ina rail fastener, the combination of a support, a bedof elastic material superimposed upon the support, a compression block carrying a rail resting upon the bed, and locking bars actuated by the pressure of the rail upon the block. 5. In a rail fastener, the combination of a box, a bed of elastic material on the bottom ofthe box, a compression block resting upon the bed, and locking bars actuated by the block, the said locking bars having pivots and being fulcrumed against the sides of the box.

6. In a rail fastener, the combination of a box, va bed of elastic material on the bottom of the box, a compression block resting upon the bed, top and bottom depressions and a shoulder on keach end of the lblock, depressions inthe ends of the box, and Ilocking bars engaging the shoulders of the block and the depressions in the block and the ends of the box, the said locking bars having pivots and being fulcrumed in the depressions fin the ends of the box.

EMERY STEMr Witnesses JOHN B. JOHNSTON, JAMES M. PORTER 

